Shuma-Gorath, Max Steel, AIDA, The Top, Microchip & Monolith!!!

In the next Suicide Squad movie I hope creators opt for a more character driven film, done in the vein of series legend John Ostrander. John famously built up members of the team to actually kill them. Unfortunately this was a big problem in the movie. Ironically I think that in Suicide Squad’s case the Murderverse needs more death.

Is the Monolith announcement indicative of the busting of the comic spec bubble? No.

Squirrel Girl’s first appearance isn’t even the most important book from that series.

Animosity feels like a flavor of the month spec, but I still dig it.

I still have a feeling that Fox’s Gotham occurs on a different Earth.

Good news: The Runaways is getting made! Bad news: Hulu.

If a character’s first appearance is as a Robot, on another Earth or someone else in disguise it is still the first appearance of the character. In comics the costume matters most.

Cameo’s can be first appearances.

If there was a foreign top ten Pilote 420 should be at the top.

Collectors are gonna wish they scooped up Battle Angel Alita’s first when it was cheap.

This week's picks:

Marvel Premiere 9

First Shuma-Gorath

Now this is highly speculative but the image of the space monster the GOTG are fighting resembles no other Marvel creature other than Shuma-Gorath. I hope it’s Shuma but there is no guarantee.

Max Steel ( Toy edition )

First Max Steel

A movie based on this forgettable toy line has been rumored for a while. This week a trailer finally dropped and surprisingly it doesn’t look half bad! This comic was released with the toy and is really hard to find.

Squadron Supreme 1

First AIDA

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is moving to a new time slot. Producers say the later time will allow for more complex, mature storylines. Is this true or just some spin to try and justify what is normally a precursor to cancellation? Well I dig the show and was happy to hear that the robot AIDA has been cast as a life model decoy.

The Flash 122 & The Flash Annual 4

First Top

So even if you don’t like TV Spec there’s sure to be a fair amount of people who love the show and want to collect key comics of characters who are appearing live for the first time. The Top is coming the the Flash but as a woman. So unless all that spinning turns Roscoe into a woman these are just the first and first ( post Flashpoint ) appearances of the Top.

The Punisher: The Origin of Microchip 1

Micro is being cast now for Netflix’s Punisher show. You should have been buying his keys the day after the Daredevil finale. Here’s one that you can still track down that you may not know about.

Hawkman 33

I mentioned the Monolith above. There aren’t many appearances beyond the 12 issues series. This one is his first appearance outside of the series which was eventually cancelled. .

10 comments

Topher, is Shuma only mentioned in MP 5? I remember there were rumors about a Dr. Strange appearance and people were buying that book for Shuma’s first. I never actually opened my copy to see if he appeared on a panel.

Yes he is mentioned there, his true form is not revealed until issue 10 in his real form ( Bruce mentions this below ). The cover to 10 does not show him in full and oddly the color is different but his true form is revealed in 10.

There is always fear that the bubble will burst and with sooooo many odd properties getting optioned for shows or movies the fear grows stronger. A comic like Monolith which was really just a failed series which only lasted 12 issues is not the sign of the apocalypse though. I don’t fear the bursting of the bubble even when average to below average comics get optioned or made because the medium is quite diverse. Comics aren’t just super-hero books so even if Holly wood or TV folks get weary of making more there will always be other comic book genres to look to for adaptation.

The July 1992 issue published Mrs. Marvel 24 which was originally written in 1979. It is important because it’s the chronological second appearance of Sabertooth. The October 1992 issue published issue 25 of Mrs. Marvel which was also previously unpublished in 1979. That comic is the first chronological appearance of Rogue. Issue 8 ( Squirrel Girl’s first appearance ) had been quarter bin material for a very long time. She has developed into a wildly popular character since. If you like her she’s kind of fun to collect because there are so few early appearances. The issues I mention here are still much more important than her first though.